It’s an exciting day for me: I’ve been living in London for 8 years today! It’s hard to believe so much time has gone by since I quit my job, got a visa, and moved to London to see where life would take me. It’s been a great adventure, though, and writing the A Lady in London blog throughout my time in the UK has been one of the biggest highlights.
Being an expat isn’t always easy, but it has been a great experience overall. I’ve been through phases of loving the UK, being frustrated that I will never quite fit in, and accepting that there will always be things I don’t know or cultural references to obscure 1980’s rugby matches that will perpetually go over my head.
I’ve learned how not to look like an idiot while ordering tea (a very important thing in this country), that I should always order at the bar in a pub (no table service in pubs here), and that pants are underwear in British English (a surprisingly useful thing to know if I don’t want to sound inadvertently crass. Which I don’t).
I’ve learned that the Queen is a pretty amazing lady (don’t tell the Founding Fathers) and that the class system is alive and well in the UK (and that money has nothing to do with class here, something that perpetually confuses American expats when we first arrive).
But beyond the little cultural differences (and the big ones), I’ve learned that London is one of the most amazing cities in the world. From its cultural diversity (I never really feel foreign in a city with people from all across the globe) to its world-class everything (museums, art, music, theater, sport, culture, and increasingly food), London has so much to offer that I could live in this city for the rest of my life and never feel like I’m done exploring.
And that’s one of the reasons I stay. Like any expat, I get homesick from time to time. I was in California last week and couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to move back and enjoy the comfort and sunshine of my home state. But as soon as I arrived back in London, the city’s energy welcomed me, inviting me to explore new-to-me London neighborhoods and all of the exciting events popping up from Notting Hill to Bethnal Green.
And that’s to say nothing of how easy it is to travel from London to almost anywhere in the world. With five international airports and a train station with services to France and Belgium, London makes it easy for me to run a travel blog for a living and still have a life at home. So here’s to a great 8 years in London, and hopefully a lot more adventures in the UK and abroad!
Are you an expat? What has your experience living somewhere away from home been like?
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